2008 has had a kind of schizoid feel to it, a year that has taken us high and taken us low. It’s easy to pick out the high. Senator Barack Obama came out of nowhere about a year ago as the underdog, only to become the top dog on November 4. His election still has a lot of people I know floating on Cloud Nine. There is almost a surreal quality to it. While an African American who was the brightest and the best has finally ascended to the highest office of the land — a symbol of America’s promise that would probably not occur in most nations of the world — there is still the misery that existed on November 3, the day before he was elected. There are still the high incarceration rates for African American men, the high drop-out rates and achievement gap for African American students and so on. The reality did not change from one day to the other after Barack Obama was elected — although many people’s interpretations of that reality might have changed. But what has happened is the “Audacity of Hope.” Depression, cynicism and hopelessness have been replaced with a notion that maybe things can get better. So although the GM plant in Janesville — and tons of other plants across the country — is closing, throwing hundreds out of work and negatively affecting the employment of hundreds in other, closely-linked industries, I don’t sense the same level of despair that I sensed in 1982 when Reagan’s revolution threw a lot of people out of work. There is that sense of hope. And where there is hope lays the possibility of solutions. That is the biggest high point of 2008, the hopefulness of people, especially African American people. I am sure there are many other high points for 2008 — people getting married and having children and getting promotions and the like. There are always positive things going on, even during the worst of times.But 2008 has been the pits for too many people. With some exceptions, 2008 has been horrible for non-profits. I remember back in the late 1980s when non-profits were urged to invest in endowment funds that invested in stocks. These were going to lead to the economic stability of the non-profits as they reaped regular dividends and interest from their portfolios. But since September, they have witnessed their nest eggs decline at a rapid rate. And surely, their revenues from these sources — especially with the Federal prime rate less than one percent — will also experience a steep decline. At a time when their services are needed the most — in a time of recession or depression — will non-profits be strapped financially? And although United Way raised a record amount of funds in 2008, it will benefit only those agencies that fit into their overall vision and design. Others will be moved ever so slightly out in the cold to fend for themselves. Madison will remain unaffected by the current economic freefall. At first glance, Madison’s unemployment rate of 3.9 percent looks pretty good, especially when it is compared to the national rate of 6.7 percent. But this is still one percent above Madison’s traditional rate of 2.9 percent. And even more frightening is the fact that it rose from 3.5 to 3.9 percent in just one month. By my rough calculation, that’s several hundred Madisonians who lost their jobs in November. And the domino effect of the GM plant closing in Janesville hasn’t even begun to impact us. There were a lot of Madisonians who worked at that plant. I feel for them because there aren’t exactly a whole lot of other plants who need their skills with the “Help Wanted” sign out front. Many people would probably see the rapid decline in the price of oil and gasoline as a positive for 2008. And in many ways it is. But the downside is that people might have short memories and forget the high prices we were paying in July. I hope the search for alternative fuels doesn’t slacken because we can fill up our vehicles kind of cheaply these days. I drive around the city a lot distributing papers and covering stories. But the socially responsible part of me almost hopes that state government increases the gas tax to spur conservation and then plug that money into mass transit and transportation infrastructure development so that when the days of high oil prices return — low prices are just a blip in the overall trend — we will be better prepared with alternative fuels and efficient modes of transportation and be nice to our environment to boot. The close of 2008 has really brought on some scary times for many of us. There is a lot of trouble and sacrifices on the horizon. When it is all over, our lives will not be the same. I just hope that the best thing that happened in 2008 — the election of Barack Obama — can combat some of the worst things that happened in 2008. While I want to say that 2009 has to be better than 2008, it most certainly can be worse. It is up to all of us to make it happen for the better. It won’t happen with us just sitting there watching the world go by. I wish all of you a wonderful and prosperous 2009. We must have the “Audacity of Hope.” And we must make it happen.